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Sunday, February 22, 2009

1. Working out (yoga poses, sit-ups, push-ups, etc.) while learning a foreign language (Dutch for this round) work well swimmingly. I'll wait until the eAudiobook teaches me to count so I can use dumbbells; I don't want to have one arm more toned than the other.

2. I'm not excited about the Oscars, which makes me think about the differences between "producers" and "consumers."

3. Apparently, the technologically advanced can install Apple's OS X on an obviously non-Apple netbook. I think that's pretty cool; I am also very amused at the o.s. flame war in the article's comments. People who buy into the "I'm a Mac/PC" advertising are, appropriately enough, consumers. Producers are folk who use whatever they can to actually do stuff, and in turn, sell that stuff to consumers, who in turn, waste potentially productive time debating the merits of the product they consume.

6. While that commercial with the four-year old editing photos on Vista is pretty cute, I pretty much question these marketing firms and their handling of the personal computing platform competition. Likewise, the big selling point for the Mac to regular folk is that you get all sorts of easy stuff out of the box (and not, say, 8-core processors and lots of room to customize, then again that's for producers with money for equipment). It's like a competition of who's lowest common denominator. Add reality TV and regular Hollywood film fare, it's not the best description to be a consumer and do consumer things.

7. In short: Consumer = sheep.

8. Judeo-Christian theology holds certain symbolism of sheep, sacrificial lambs, and scapegoats. That said, is being a "sheep" a good or bad thing, and is there a distinction when you are talking about theology vs. the marketplace?

9. Rugged individualism is for people who neither have nor deserve any friends. Many who claim to this are actually fooling themselves.

10. Has human civilization always been akin to the hive/colony mentality of bees and ants?

11. If so, the Peter Principle holds true. Additionally, those who are good at something should never leave it for a "promotion" (a pay raise is better). Those who have a working knowledge at many things, but are otherwise incompetent, should run the show.

12. I feel that I am otherwise incompetent, and that is a good thing. I think that makes me more of a producer than a consumer.

13. In our civilzation in its current state, not everyone can be a producer. Who would consume, then?

14. If the open-source revolution jumps from the Internet to the material world, we wouldn't need the class distinctions to "consumer" and "producer."

15. Open-source is like geek communism. All we need is a nerdy Marx and a dorky Engels.

16. Of course, proprietary capitalism, which is also non-geeky capitalism, will do anything it can to squash upstart spazzy Lenins and poindexter Guevaras.

17. Dweeby Stalin and doofus Castro would still be douchebags.

18. Weird Mao will create his own type of open-source geek communism (as is the purpose of open-source), but that is another story for another day.

19. Conservatives will accuse liberals of being geek socialists because of open-source, but libertarians, while fiscally conservative, will see the merit of freedom in open-source philosophy.

20. I just needed to take another jab at social conservatives for not wanting to evolve.

21. Speaking of evolution and social conservatism, apparently the debate over Darwin hinges on the meaning of the word "theory."

22. The closet creationist (see #25) who advocated "intelligent design" would tend to dismiss the theory of evolution as just as "theory," and not "fact."

23. A scientist versed in the scientific method would say that a theory is built on facts. Facts are constantly proven and disproven, which give the theory its worth in science and application.

24. I wanted to write the previous handful of tidbits after watching a documentary on PBS about Darwin, evolution, intelligent design, religion, etc. Was that Nova or Frontline?

25. There is merit in creation myths as "truth."

26. There is a difference between truth and fact, as there is between fact and opinion.

27. "All men are created equal" is a truth, but if you look around, it isn't much of a fact.

28. That's why I would like to use tax dollars to give kids the opportunity, through education and some sort of inspiration, to succeed or fail when they are adults.

29. Other than that fiscally liberal viewpoint, I think I am a libertarian.

30. The problem with libertarianism is that they're so cool about freedom and tend not to think federally or globally, appropriately enough. It's a problem because that prevents the Libertarian Party from being a major party, at least from my understanding.

31. Yes, I am insinuating the dismantling of the big government, big brother, 1950s nostalgic monstrosity that is the Grand Old Party.

32. Abraham Lincoln is a icon of Washington proportions, regardless of political ideology. Modern day Republicans can no longer call themselves the Party of Lincoln. They might have some claim to being the Party of Reagan, but let's be honest: It's Bushtown.

33. We'll hold W. in nostalgia when his mess is finally cleaned up.

34. We'll criticize Obama for not cleaning it up fast enough.

35. Changing things on a supervillain scale will have to wait until things are fixed on a superhero level. The Bushies need not worry about Obama-Islamo-Communism, or whatever bogeyman of the day.

36. Yes, using the strawman army of "Bushies" as my example is an example of creating my own bogeyman. A link to current examples of anti-Obama strawman argumenation would help my case, but I'm on a stream of consciousness here! I have no time to Wiki right now!

37. I'm glad I can "write," but I could go for an editor to assist this tripe. And a publisher.

38. I could print out PDF documents to create an eBook or two, but I want a book publisher that has access to a distributor and a publicist.

39. I think I just locked myself into writing a book. If that is the case, I am in negotiations with myself to option the story for a screenplay.

40. Corporate intrigue is not only tortoises on top of tortoises, but it is also multiple-personality disorder. Yes, it's cool to be one's own boss, but it borders on the absurd to report to oneself on paper and approve your work through voted resolutions, and have the shareholders (which is also you) to reelect the board (also you) who watches the officers (also you) who manage the employees (someone else, if you can do something to save the economy by hiring folk who are not you).

And that, my friends, is how to save the world. Full disclosure: Of all the products/services mentioned or hinted, I own shares in Apple, Microsoft, Mutiny Universe, the DeRamos Group, and I'm a registered Democrat who voted for Obama. I think that covers it as honestly as possible. Cheers!